List of lakes in Norway

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Randsfjorden's glacial formation characteristics including a narrow shape and "overdeepening" explains why it is named a fjord, even though it is not a saltwater inlet

There are at least 450,000 fresh water lakes in Norway, of which fewer than 400 have an area of more than 5 km². The largest of these are listed here. The total area of Norway's lakes is estimated at 17,100 km², and the total volume at 1,200 km³. Most were created by glacial erosion. Europe's four deepest lakes are in Norway, namely Hornindalsvatnet (514 m), Salsvatnet (464 m), Tinnsjø (460 m) and Mjøsa (449 m).

[edit] Types of lakes

Various Sami and Norwegian language terms distinguish different types of lake, and often feature in place names:

• Fjord: Although normally used to describe a saltwater inlet, in eastern Norway a long, narrow freshwater lake is also called a fjord (though this differs from the English use of the word: see fjord). Randsfjorden, mapped on the right, is the largest example of an inland fjord. It is said you can walk around a fjord in a couple of days.
• Sjø: Although normally used to describe a sea, Sjø is also a large fresh-water lake that is not as narrow as a fjord. Examples include Vansjø in Østfold and Selbusjøen in Sør-Trøndelag.
• Mjøsa: The form mjøsa is also used for larger lakes. The Mjøsa itself is a large lake between the towns of Gjøvik, Lillehammer and Hamar. Other examples of the usage include Vangsmjøsa in Vang, Oppland.
• Vatn: A vatn (or vann) is a small lake. You can walk around a vatn in a couple of hours. The Sognsvann near Oslo is one example of such usage. Vatn might be used for large lakes further north, such as Altevatnet in Troms and Snåsavatnet in Nord-Trondelag.
• Tjern: (from the old Norse tjarn and tjǫrn) is a small lake. It is also written tjenn, tjørn and tjønn. The English cognate is tarn.
• Combinations: Østensjøvannet is an interesting variaton that concatenates sjø and vann. Møsvann in Vinje, Telemark combines mjøsa with vann.
• Jávrásj: (Lule Sami, spoken in Nordland) or Jávrrás (Northern Sami,^[1] more widespread): Where the place names of the Sami people are used, these are limited to very small lakes, or ponds. None are listed here.
• Jávrre: (Lule Sami) or jávri (Northern Sami)^[1]: These refer to larger lakes. The largest lake in Norway predominantly known by its Sami name is Siiddašjávri, which lies partly in Nordland but mostly in Sweden. Vuolep Sårjåsjávrre, also straddling the Nordland-Sweden border, is the largest with the Lule Sami ending -jávrre.

[edit] Largest lakes

Lakes are ranked here in order of their total area. For lakes on the border of Norway, the area within Norway is stated in parentheses. The list is taken from the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat) lake database for Norway, which is available on the Internet.

[edit] Deepest lakes

* Sources provide both 464 m & 482 m for the greatest depth.

[edit] Largest volume lakes

[edit] Other lakes

• Andfiskvatnet

[edit] See also

• Geography of Norway

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} Sami terms for lake taken from the glossary on P.94 of Laponia World Heritage Area, ed. J.L. Battle, printed Ågrens, Örnsköldsvik, 2001, ISSN 0283-9636. Available online from the county administration of Norrbotten[1], accessed 3 April 2006.

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Lakes of Norway